Chapter 18: Killer Interview

"You sure you're up to this?"

"Yes."

They stood outside the door to the storage bay where Bodek was presently stowed. Cool and composed, General Avocato wore his long, khaki uniform coat like armor. Not a hair was out of place – and god knew, Avocato had a lot of them. Gary had watched him prepare for the interview and was rather taken aback at the sheer coldness that seemed to frost over the general as soon as he buttoned on that coat. It was downright scary and such a far cry from what he had already seen – last night, this morning, ten minutes ago - that Gary had wanted to ask questions, but Little Cato shook his head warningly, as if to say this was not the time. Clearly the teen recognized this mindset and knew better than to interrupt or distract his father with anything less than the business of being a warlord.

"Want your gun belt?" Gary asked instead. He got the distinct impression that the whole crew of the Crimson Light could dance naked in front of him and this Avocato wouldn't bat an eye. Of course, now that the thought occurred, Gary wanted to try it.

"No. Thank you," Avocato added as an afterthought. "I'm only armed when it's required by regulations."

Which, in its own way, was a statement to his confidence and authority. Was there anything about this frozen persona that wasn't calculated to project power? If there was, Gary hadn't seen it yet. Even the sheer plainness of his uniform drove home the fact that General Avocato didn't need visible proof (or would that be reminders?) of his rank and accomplishments.

Not about to argue, Gary informed him, "I'm bringing mine."

Avocato had just nodded in acknowledgment and followed him down two levels. Now Gary waited for a gesture to open the door, and when it came, he followed Avocato into the storage room. Nightfall had guard duty and was expecting them, and without a word she left, letting the general face on his own terms the person who had tried multiple times to assassinate him.

Bodek, who had been sitting in his cell moping, surged to his feet and came to stand in the open doorway when he spotted them. Taking his cue from the block of ice beside him, Gary stood still and was silent as the Scoti let out a savage hiss.

"General Avocato," snarled Bodek, and he glanced at Gary to include him in the general aura of I really hate you. "And Captain Gary Goodspeed. You two should be pleased – even in my time, you're still a force to be reckoned with. I should have recognized you earlier than I did, Goodspeed. You're only wanted by every bounty hunter in creation, including that one," he added with a sneer, gesturing at Avocato. "Though I doubt he's into you for the money. I couldn't see how anyone would want to defend this monster, then I realized you must have a reason and I put the pieces together. You two are the universe's ultimate power couple: the xenocide and the time twister."

Gary had no idea of what to make of this, and opted to simply listen now and figure it out later. Hands clasped behind his back, Avocato just looked at Bodek coldly and after a long while asked,

"What is your name?"

"You know it already."

"I know what I've been told. What will you tell me?"

"You can't catch me in a lie, Avocato," he growled, looking as if he wanted to spit after saying the name aloud. "My name is Bodek."

"Why did you attack the Kalibar?"

"Because you were on it."

"Why would you want to kill me?"

Bodek barked a laugh, as if he couldn't believe such a question was being asked. "You only destroyed my whole planetary system."

"No, I haven't."

"But you will."

"Up until the point you and your team attacked the Kalibar, the Tera Con Empire had no hostility toward Scotia Majoran. The Lord Commander and I even discussed the possibility of making diplomatic overtures towards your government." Gary could tell Avocato was genuinely curious, though his tone never changed. "And here you state that I destroyed your system. Why would I do that?"

"Are you asking me to explain the thought process of a megalomaniacal dictator?"

"By which I take it, you mean me?" Avocato allowed himself a small frown. "I know you're from twenty years in the future. In your calculations, when exactly did I destroy Scotia Majoran?"

"On star date 6859.49."

Avocato did some quick mental math, placing the date. It was only a few weeks away. "You came back in time to kill me for something I haven't done and might not do?"

"What?"

"Tell me your team sent a declaration of war to the Tera Con Empire before you attacked the Kalibar." He was deadly serious, and Bodek instantly keyed in on that intensity. "Or a declaration of war against me. Did you adhere to the recognized conventions dictating the rules of interstellar war?"

"Why?"

"Answer!" barked Avocato.

Bodek knew to be afraid, but he wasn't afraid enough. "No. Why should we? We knew what you were going to do. Why declare war when you, your very existence is an act of war? Your every action is a war crime! Tell that worm on Tera Con Prime whatever you want."

Avocato looked away, shaking his head slightly as he said, "I won't lie for you. By not declaring war before attacking my flagship, your attempts to kill me changes your status from enemy combatant to murderer."

"Have I tried to deny it? No. My only regret is I didn't succeed."

"You're a fool, Scoti. Don't you see? I have standing orders! Orders issued by the Lord Commander himself four solar years ago, before I took military command. Any confirmed assassination attempt on the high command of the Tera Con Empire will result in the assassin's home planet or system being destroyed. If you had declared war, attacking us would have been within the rules of engagement set out by the Tera Con Convention. If I destroy Scotia Majoran, it will be because a Scoti renegade tried multiple times to assassinate me!"

At each word, Bodek grew stiller and his expression grew darker as he began to realize not only what Avocato was saying, but what he and his team of assassins had done . . . and not done. "What?"

"Where did you get a Death Knell?"

Bodek scoffed, too emotional to choose his words with care. "Who do you think made them in the first place, you Ventrexian filth? Gah! We should have gone back and used it on Ventrexia instead of your ship! Maybe next time."

It was the wrong thing to say. Any thought of mercy or clemency vanished at the reckless threat to his home world. Ventrexia was already held hostage. To hear Bodek admit his people were responsible for creating – and using – one of the most horrific weapons of mass destruction ever devised was more than Avocato was willing to tolerate or let go. Avocato had tried to find a loophole to spare Scotia Majoran from the Lord Commander's wrath, but Bodek had blocked that course. One glance at his friend told Gary that Avocato was done trying. That much, at least, had not changed. His retaliation, however, was as formal as it was final.

"Very well. Captain Goodspeed," said Avocato, turning away from Bodek but speaking loudly enough that he could not be mistaken, "with your permission, when my escort arrives, we will take custody of your prisoner."

"Uh, 'kay," said Gary with a more than a hint of unease, trying to figure out what his friend intended. It wasn't as if he had a better plan for getting rid of Bodek. "Then what?" he muttered nervously, less anxious for the lasting effect on Bodek than Avocato.

Avocato remained frighteningly calm. "We'll return him to Scotia Majoran."

He wished he hadn't asked, belatedly realizing Bodek had just sealed his own fate and that of his planetary system. This was the number two dude in charge of the Tera Con Empire talking. An escort for Avocato was probably a full battle fleet, and they sure as hell weren't going to Scotia Majoran to take Bodek home as a friendly gesture. Unable to stop the anxious response, Gary ran a hand through his hair. "Um . . . sure."

A small nod and a brief, "Thank you," from Avocato ended the little scene. Without another word or backwards glance, Avocato swept from the room. Gary looked at Bodek, at the assassin's dawning realization of all the opportunities he had just been given and missed, at the full impact of Avocato's words, and shook his head. There was nothing he could do. Nothing he would do. Nothing he really wanted to do, and Avocato would remain true to his word not to lie. Bodek had tried multiple times to kill Avocato, kill Gary, and if he'd been given the chance, he would have killed Little Cato. Gary's sympathy was . . . non-existent, and he understood a little better the one they called the Master of Death and the decision he'd been forced to make.

Nightfall just pointed to the darkest corner of the hall before wordlessly resuming her watch. Gary could see Avocato's shadowy form facing the wall, his fists clenched tightly and his long tail twitching in agitation. He approached slowly, deliberately making noise to announce his presence even though he knew perfectly well Avocato was aware of him.

"Cato."

"I hate what I've become, Gary," Avocato said softly. He turned slightly, polished manners still too ingrained in him to leave someone talking to his back. "I'm not a soldier any more. I'm a weapon. I've been bought and sold and have no say in how I'm used. I will have to destroy Scotia Majoran. I don't want to, but I'll be given no choice."

"I know. I understand your decision."

"Is that approval?" he demanded, anger flaring.

"No. But I understand."

Avocato stared at him for a long moment, weighing Gary's words and his own feelings as the flash of temper faded, leaving him a little bit colder inside. Finally, he nodded wearily and looked away, but could not speak. What could he say? He had made his decision. He would follow orders. He had taken that first step to becoming the Master of Death. And he looked so helpless and desperate and lost, like he was drowning in a sea of despair, that Gary felt his heart break. He had seen such an expression so hopeless only once before, at the moment Avocato had told him to look after Little Cato. The first of countless small deaths he would die, the start of a long and lingering anguish to a fiery end.

Before Avocato could turn his back again, Gary was moving. He put his hand on Avocato's shoulder and made the Ventrexian face him even as he made himself face the raw anguish radiating off his friend. This was not a time to be alone. Without thinking his actions through, Gary answered the siren's call and pulled the Ventrexian in for a fierce hug, crushing Avocato close and closing his eyes tight against the tears that threatened to fall. The general stiffened, shocked and unused to such contact, but he made no protest, as if he had already figured out Gary's impulses were not to be denied. Even with his army boots on, Avocato was a still a little shorter than Gary, so they fit together as neatly as Gary remembered back on the Galaxy 1. For Gary, back then, the adventure was just starting. For Avocato, it was just one step closer to . . . to what? Death? Invictus? Or . . . Gary?

He had known. Oh, god, Avocato had known back then that he was not coming back from that mission to Zetakron Alpha. He had known and gone anyway because it was for his son and he had hugged Gary because it was the last chance he would have to hold the man who had inadvertently asked Avocato to marry him. And Gary had been so in love with Quinn and Avocato had said nothing, nothing about what he already knew about them, about the future, about everything that was about to collapse around them. God, how had he managed such silence?

Because he wanted his son to be safe, and he knew Gary – despite the occasional near-death fumble – would manage it. Events had to play out so Gary and Little Cato could reach this point. Avocato had sacrificed everything, always, for what he loved: Ventrexia, his family, his son, his friend. His only friend.

Gary hugged tighter at the thought, then tighter still as Avocato, hesitantly at first, reached up and returned the embrace, leaning heavily against Gary and letting someone else be strong for him for a change. Avocato hid his face against Gary's shoulder, his hands clutching at the brown leather jacket. He might have cried, but Gary never checked to see. It didn't matter. He just held on for as long as Avocato needed.